Place: Reviews & Ratings

The legendary Monk's Cafe! A craft beer icon in both locally in Philadelphia and in the United States, if not the world.

We sat at the front bar. It was pretty crowded for mid-afternoon on a Saturday, but due to a party leaving right as we arrived, we managed to get three seats together. The space is somewhat cramped and the lighting features neon. It's a weathered aesthetic. A testament to the bar's longevity, perhaps.

The tap list is small, but incredibly well-considered. There is a focus on Belgian and Belgian-inspired brewing, but there is a nod of the head to the popularity of IPA, as well. The taps are split across the two bars. You can order from either, but it does mean waiting a little bit for your beer to be fetched from the other bar, as necessary. I had a Russian River Blind Pig and a dry-hopped Saison Dupont. The beer was in top shape.

We didn't eat, but the menu, like the beer, trends Belgian. There's an impressive range of mussel preparations that I'd love to sample.

The service is a bit stuffy. Our bartender wasn't unfriendly, but he didn't welcome us with open arms, either.

I can only imagine the oasis that Monk's Cafe must have been in, say, 1998. (1,190 characters)

Without question, this place has an awesome draft list! However, I feel that the bartenders are extremely pretentious and act as though you are bothering them when you order your beer. (184 characters)

Amazing selection of primarily Belgians and rare beers. Food is excellent and and as affordable as can be in Center City Philly. Truly a beer connoisseur's heaven. I had my first Rochefort 10 there 15 or so years ago and it has held a special place in my heart ever since. (272 characters)

I am an out of towner, but whenever I am in Philadelphia I make time for Monk's. Incredible selection of drafts which usually include a few offerings from Russian River. The mussels and frites are also top notch. The crowd can get pretty big depending on the day/time but it is worth the wait. (296 characters)

My wife and I went to Monks Sunday on a whim. Their website, which I checked before taking the trip over said they had many beers on tap including Pliny the Elder. Once we arrived, it took the bartender about 10 minutes to emerge from the back area. He wasn't very helpful. Their tap list stunk. They only had Damnation on tap and the other selections were nothing special. My hopes were dashed and I won't be back. (415 characters)

Monks is part of our Mussel Fest annual event and should be visited not only for the incredible beer selection, but also for a pot of some of the best mussels in Philly. The Red Light, Ghent and Monks mussels are outstanding and taste even better being washed down with a glass of Pliny or Blind Pig. Excellent stop for beer and mussels! (338 characters)

Best bar on the planet to drink beer! Drink some Russian River or the house Flemish Sour under the unicorn tapestry in the windowless backroom, it's cool as hell. Bonus, awesome mussels and a killer legit veggie cheesesteaks. (225 characters)

Arrived at 1:30pm on a weekday and found on-street parking about a block away on 17th St. There were a decent amount of people sitting down grabbing lunch and two people at the front bar. I took a seat at the front bar and after a quick review of the draught list ordered a St. Bernardus Abt 12. The beer arrived and seemed a little under-carbonated, perhaps a bit cold as well. Still tasted great but not the world class beer I've had many times before. I spent some time looking through the impressive "beer bible" containing their bottled offerings. Surely something for everyone. The bar area was dimly lit and had a dark feel inside of it, with Halloween decorations and colored Christmas lights strewn behind in. I was into whatever music was playing, some sort of 70's funk fusion.

Next up, I ordered a Tripel Karmeliet, but after a quick trip to the back bar to retrieve it, the bartender told me the keg was kicked. I was disappointed as I really had my heart set on it, but decided to go with something I had not had in many years, La Chouffe, and got an order of Ghent mussels to go along with it. The beer and mussels were both excellent and lifted my spirits after the sub par Abt 12.

The vibe was a little gloomy but I went at an off time and I'm sure it is much less low key at night. Next time, I will check out the rear bar area as the front bar is small and very close to the entrance. Still, I enjoyed my time here and wouldn't hesitate to return to this mecca of beer. (1,503 characters)

Took long enough but I finally got to visit the esteemed Monk's after figuring out it was less than a mile from the concert venue I was attending... upon first entrance, I thought I might have been missing something... and I was right, because once we navigated our way to the 'back bar', there was far more room to operate! Semi-early on a Friday night, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowd. Super happy to sit down and order a Blind Pig! Tried out the house beer, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale, which was solid.

I doubt I'll ever make a special trip to the city JUST to go here, but if I am nearby I won't hesitate to stop in for a few pints or possibly something from that vaunted Beer Bible! (709 characters)

NIce beer bar if you're in Philly. Only a short 10-15 minute walk from my hotel by the convention center. Small place for sure and as others say, its quite dark in there. Which is cool by me, so I was at home. Loads of Belgian offerings here, I'm guessing more than half the beers. Had a Damnation on tap, sure nice to enjoy a RR beer on the east coast, then a Racer 5 IPA. Food was so-so, the service was fine. In between my two beers, I did waste some time trying to order off the beer list which said they had FW PNC and 17. Each time the server going around looking for the beer, then coming back to advise that its no longer available. After waiting to find out they didn't have those, just went with tap offerings. I would say its a must place for any BA in Philly because its really a cool beer cave, but I wasn't exactly overwhelmed. (852 characters)

Monk's Cafe has some decent bottles, but I don't get the hype. Unless you're a local that can stop in anytime for special tappings, this place is extremely mediocre. Food is okay. Service is okay.

My recommendation: go during the day (dimly lit at night and loud) and don't bother reading the online menu. Expect them to be out of at least one thing that you ask for. Also, they like to leave certain high-demand bottles on their list that are long gone. Fair warning to those interested in one of the 5 Cantillon bottles which have been sold out since September 20th. (Today is Oct. 13) (597 characters)

Amazing place and a must when in Philly. There may be some better places to get a beer in town (Eulogy, Tria) but Monk's is a classic and usually has some amazing stuff on tap. Went there last week and had Lost Abbey Deliverance - rocked my world. Monk's has an epic reputation and is well worth the visit.

I was at Monks for their Pliny the Younger offering in March. The bar itself is a little on the small side, made even smaller by the large number of people who were there for the special offerings that day. That day their offerings were amazing, as to be expected, I did take a look at their bottle list while there and there seemed to be a good deal of bottles that I would have loved to have tried. While I was there I had one of the burgers which was very good. The pricing was pretty expensive as was to be expected. The bottle list was slightly over the price points I would have expected. The servers that day were overwhelmed. They did what they could and remained calm cool and collected throughout the day. (719 characters)

Monks needs to be on your must visit list if you are visiting Philly and love craft beer. The place is small but a wonderful atmosphere and great service. My glass was empty very little and wish I would have had to time to go back during my trip.

Food was not to my taste, they only offer a veggie cheese steak to give you an idea.

But the beer atmosphere and service more than makes up for the food.

If you skip this one you are making a big mistake folks. (460 characters)

Finally made it to Monk's on the way to D.C. It was early on a Saturday so had a choice of tables. Picked one close to the window since I'd read reviews about how dark it can get. My impression of the place was overwhelmingly positive, however, the selection was not up to their usual standards. About half of the list was crossed out and the waitress said there were having some issues with the lines in the back bar so my review reflects my disappointment on the day I was there. I do intend to go back at some point and will amend my review to reflect a complete beer list. (576 characters)

Snuck over while chaperoning a school trip to Phillie. Loved the town- much safer, nicer and cleaner then I thought it would be. Staff was friendly, beer selection was more Belgium centric then I see in bars in my neck of the woods (and I do live in the woods). My only complaint is the bar is a bit dark and would rather be somewhere a bit brighter on a nice spring, summer or fall day. Will head back ASAP. (409 characters)

A Bit Loud, But You Expect That On Philly Beer Week. Crowded, Which Is Perhaps A Testament ToThe Establishment In And Of Itself. Excellent Beer Bible, Lending itself To Large Variety Of Delicious Brews. Competent Staff Despite The Amount Of Customers. (251 characters)

I lucked out and happened to be in Philly for work during Russian River Mad Monday at Monks. I ended up spending four separate trips here while in Philly.

A- The bar is pretty small, with a front bar and a back bar at the opposite end of the building. Seating for maybe 100-125 people total. If you go in the evening, it is DARK! So dark that you have to use candle light at the bar to read the beer menu. Lot's of Belgium beer signs hung around the walls. It gets pretty packed and hard to maneuver around in the evenings

Q- You're not going to find an establishment that is more dedicated to serving world class beer, while serving it at proper temperature and in the right glass

S- Bartenders are super knowledgeable, the two females that I talked to were very nice and loved to talk about beer. Service was pretty efficient, even when crowded

S- The best beer selection that I have ever seen at a bar, period. In my four visits, I had Firestone PNC, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Blind Pig, Supplication, Temptation, Consecration, Against the Grain Bo & Luke, Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze, Older Viscosity on tap, the list goes on.

F- the fries are great and the dipping sauce is awesome, highly recommended. Burgers were good but not great, the lunch specials were very good.

V- This place isn't cheap when it comes to good beers, but you won't find a better selection in Philly, it's worth it

O- to be honest, I wasn't a fan of Philadelphia. It's not somewhere I would purposely come back to, but if I ever do, Monk's will be the first place I go (1,566 characters)

I had been to a number of places in Philly recommended by beer advocate while here for a conference - but wasn't impressed with any of them until I wondered over to Monk's. It was too small, crowded and popular to bring a whole crew over from the conference without advanced planning, but I was squeezed into a table. Had an ultra hoppy IPA then a couple of their sour beers - brewed and named just for them - that were literally good enough to write home to my family about just how good it all was. I wouldn't travel to Philly just to go here, but if you find yourself here, definitely go.

Have a picture of current offerings but don't know how to post it here. (664 characters)

So this place has been on my bucket list and finally made it the other night. It didn't disappoint.Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig on tap, as close as you get to heaven on the east coast. Add St Bernardus ABT 12 and it get's even better.

Be aware if you're going and never been;

The place is small and you must eat to get a table, so come prepared to eat. The good news here is that the food is great.

The servers can be a bit quirky, but that's all to the good as far as we were concerned.

Place is a gem of the American craft scene. Small, ramped place that once inside teases you with bottles of rares like Russian River, Cantillon, and others scattered about the décor. The taplist on this day was mind blowing; so much so that Pliny the elder on tap was an afterthought. On most other days they have an incredible selection of Belgian imports, hard to get domestic beers, and favorites.

Staff knows their stuff and treats you well. I was here on a jam packed bar and still was able to get service fast. Prices normally run high but then again they are pouring the rare liquid. A must visit when in Philly, even with better options around. This is a historic craft mecca (Michael Jackson adored this bar).

I'll be back and when I do go I hope to be at the bar for a stretch. (854 characters)

At the suggestion of my local bottleshop owner in Washington, I made a stop in Philly specifically for this place on a trip to the East Coast. I wanted to stay for the last 7 days.

The front section has the restaurant and main bar, but it also has a smaller, almost "exclusive" room in back with handles and plain wooden seating. Busy, fun, bit loud but that is a sign of a good business and happy customers.

Huge Belgian selection of both taps and bottles. Friendly, witty staff that know just about every beer they offer. Served in correct glasses of course. Overall a Belgian "Mecca" that, if you are in Phily, you need to try. Slightly expensive but Belgians usually are anyways and sadly didn't try the food. Go forth!! (726 characters)

This might be the best bar in the world--definitely a contender. Beer selection is amazing. Cool atmosphere, dark, cramped, bustling. If you can get a seat at the bar you have won the lottery and should stay as long as you can continue drinking-then leave and let someone have a seat. They have some fantastic beers on tap that are continually rotating. Had Pliny on tap when I was there--need I say more? Try their own sour ale, nice way to end the night. (456 characters)

Monks is THE place for the beer connoisseur visiting Philly. A constantly rotating selection and some VERY knowledgable servers, you absolutely will not leave disappointed. Don't even bother choosing. Just tell them what you like and try at least a few of their recommendations. A little pricey for Philly, but you should be very pleased. A++++ (344 characters)